Torpedo-placing machine.



No. 870,390. PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907.

H. W. SIMGOE. TORPEDO PLACING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 23. 1907.

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No. 870,390. PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907.

H. w. SIMOOB. TORPBDO PLACING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23. 1907.

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PATENT @FFTQE.

HARRY W. SIMCOE, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

TORPEDO-PLAG ING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. I

Patented Nov. 5, 1907.

Application filed July 23.1907. Serial No. 385.119.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY W. SIMooE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Torpedo-Placing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to torpedo-placing machines, the object of the invention being to provide a simple and effective device of this character which can be operated from a train while the same is in motion, to effect the placing of one or more torpedoes upon a track to notify those in charge of the succeeding train of the adjacence of the train in front of it.

A machine involving my invention possesses advantageous features which will be fully set forth in the following description wherein is outlined that embodiment of the invention which I have selected for villustration in the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification.

The novelty of the invention will be included in the claims succeeding said description.

It will be clear, of course, that certain deviations can be made within the scope of my said claims.

Referring to said drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine involving my invention and showing the same attached to a vehicle which may be the well known freight caboose. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the torpedo placing mechanism. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of said mechanism. Figv 4 is a detail view of a portion of the casing, thrust rod, spring, and certain cooperative devices. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 55 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detail view of a supporting bracket and certain parts associated therewith. Fig. 7 is a detail view hereinafter more particularly described, and Fig. 8 is a detail view in perspective of a portion of the casing or tube hereinafter described.

Like characters refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

The torpedo-placing mechanism is denoted in a general way by 2 and it involves in its make-up a frame as 3 approximately of yoke-form adapted, when said mechanism is in its operative relation, to straddle a railway rail. The frame 3 is represented as connected with the lower end of a thrust-rod as 4 which extends through a casing as 5. The rod 4 may be connected to said frame 3 in any desirable way; for example, the

lower end of the rod may be threaded to fit a correspondingly formed seat in the yokelike cross-bar of said frame. The rod 4 is shown as equipped with a knob 6 at its upper end which can be grasped by a trainman to facilitate the depression of the rod and the consequent placing of a torpedo. The casing or tube 5 has substantially midway between its ends an inwardly projecting journal or pivot as 7 extending through and turning in a bearing or sleeve as 8. From this it will be evident that the casing 5 has a swiveled mounting, and this permits lateral motion of the cars ing 5 and hence the rod 4 and frame 3, so that, when the latter straddles or hugs the track in rounding a curve, the machine cannot be thrown out of action by the jumping of the frame from the track. The swing of the casing 5 in the present case is limited, and this I secure in the present case by the provision of a pin as 9 depending from the journal or pivot 7 which is adapted to strike alternately the ends of a notch or slot as 10 in the sleeve 8. Said sleeve is provided with a depending stem or shank as 11 which is preferably squared in cross-section and which is adapted to fit a correspondingly-shaped socket as 12 on the bracket 13 adapted to be connected in some suitable way to the platform of a car, as shown in Fig. 1.

The rod 4 is encircled by a coiled spring as 14 acting at the lower end against the casing or tube 5, and at the upper end, against a pin as 15 on the rod 4. One of the functions performed by the spring is to hold the rod elevated with the frame or shoe 3 normally out of contact with a railway rail and to also return said rod to its initial position when downward pressure on the same has been released. Another function performed by said spring will be hereinafter set forth. The pin 15 is located in the slot 16 from the lower end of which the branch slots 17 and 18 depend. Normally the pin 15 is against the upper end of the main or large slot 16. It will be assumed that it is desired to place a torpedo and that the same is connected with the frame or shoe 3. To do this the rod 4 is thrust downward and, before it has completed its downward stroke, the pin 16 will enter the branch slot 17 so that on the continued downward movement of the rod, the said branch slot serves to guide the shoe or frame 3 correctly toward the rail to insure the proper application of the torpedo. When pressure is relieved the spring 14, under its maximum compression, will return the rod to its initial position. The rod may be given a half turn so as to correspondingly turn the frame or shoe 3 to apply a second torpedo, and it will then be lowered, and during the descending motion thereof the pin 15 will enter the second branch slot 18 so as to repeat the function performed by the slot 17 On the elevation of the rod 4 by the spring 14 the spring will give said rod 9. return half turn as soon as said pin leaves the branch slot 18; this is the second oflice performed by the spring, to which allusion was made.

The side checks or plates of the frame or shoe 3 are provided with Crossbars as 19 having guide loops as 20 on their upper sides to receive the body portion of a torpedo-ejecting device 21 which travels longitudinally of the frame or shoe 3. The ends of the said torpedoejecting device 2]. are provided with heads or enlargements as 22 to overlie the respective heads of torpedoes straddling the end portions of the frame or shoe, at which time the resilient sides or springs of the torpedoes set in notches as 23 formed in the ends of the sides of said frame or shoe 3. The torpedoes are dislodged from the frame or shoe byshoulders as 24 on the under side of the said ejecting device 21.

I might state that, generally speaking, the present machine is of the same general character as that shown in Letters Patent No. 733,086 granted to me July 7, 1903, and to which reference may be had. The torpedo-ejecting device or push-bar like that shown in the said patent is endwise reciprocatory or movable for the purpose of separating the torpedoes from the carrying shoe or frame 3. Between the sides of the said frame is rotatably mounted a wheel 25, the sections or disks constituting which are connected by diametrically-opposite pins as 26 and 27, the pin 26 being located in a transverse groove as 28 in the upper side of the torpedoejecting device 21, while the pin 27 acts as a movementlimiting device, it engaging for this purpose the said torpedo-ejecting device at opposite sides alternately of the groove 28. In the present case, the upper surface of the torpedo-ejecting device 21 at opposite sides of the groove 28 is plain or smooth. It will be assumed that torpedoes have been connected with the frame or shoe 3 and that the Wheel 25 is in contact with a railway rail, the frame or shoe 3 straddling such rail. As soon as said wheel 25 engages the rail, it being assumed that the train is in motion, said wheel is turned in the direction followed by the wheels of the train, whereby it can thrust the torpedo-ejecting device 2], through the action of the cooperating parts, rearwardly and, during this motion, the ejecting device dislodges the torpedo from the frame or shoe, so that the springs or yieldable legs of the torpedo can close upon the rail. By turning the frame in the manner hereinbefore indicated a second torpedo may be placed, and the same operation will follow. 7

I have shown as extending rearward from the journal of the wheel 25 spring-arms as 29 arranged in pairs. These arms, when the torpedoes are placed, overlie the springs of said torpedoes so that, when the latter respectively leave the frame or shoe 3, the springs prevent the torpedoes from jumping up and push the torpedoes down upon the track. The inner ends of the respective spring-arms may be coiled about bosses 29 on the sides of the shoe and through which the journal of the wheel 25 extends.

The casing 5 is arranged preferably upon a slant as illustrated, whereby the shoe or frame 3 will be at a corresponding slant or at an inclination to the horizontal, by virtue of which. the torpedo that is to be initially placed can, when the shoe is in operative position, be directly against the rail, while the other torpedo or the one at this time nearer the car will be out of contact with such rail.

The sides of the frame or shoe have apertures as 30, the walls of which converge upwardly and, by reason of which the shoe or frame will not be affected by the bolts or nuts used in making rail joints.

What I claim is:

1. In a torpedo-placing machine, the combination of a casing, a rod extending through the casing for vertical and turning movement with respect thereto, spring means acting against the rod to turn and to raise the same after the same has been lowered and turned by hand, and torpedoplacing mechanism connected with said rod.

In a torpedo-placing machine, the combination of a casing, a rod extending through the casing for vertical and turning movements, torpedo-placing mechanism connected with the rod, said rod being turnable to apply successively two torpedoes, and means for insuring the correct approach of the torpedo-placing mechanism toward a track rail in each of its two turned positions.

3, In a torpedoplacing machine, the combination of a casing having a slot provided at its lower end with branch slots, a rod extending through the casing for vertical and turning movements, a pin on the rod, to enter the branch slots in alternation during the depression of the rod, and torpedo-placing mechanism connected with the rod.

4, In a torpedoplacing machine, the combination of a laterally-swinging casing, a rod extending through the casing for vertical movement, and torpedo-placing mechanism connected with the rod.

5. In a torpedo-placing machine, the combination of a casing, a rod extending through the casing for vertical movement with respect thereto, torpedo-placing mechanism connected with the rod, a bearing, and a pivot on said casing, mounted in said bearing, to permit lateral swinging of the casing.

6. In a torpedo-placing machine, the combination of a casing, a rod extending through the casing for vertical movement with respect thereto, torpedo placing mechanism connected with the rod, a bearing, a pivot on said casing, mounted in said bearing, to permit lateral swinging of the casing, and a pin on said pivot, the bearing having a slot to receive saidpin and the latter being adapted to abut alternately against the ends of said slot.

7. In a torpedo-placing machine, torpedo-placing mechanism involving an endwise-moving torpedo-ejecting device and a wheel, the wheel having diametrically opposite pins, the torpedo-ejecting device having a groove to re ceive one of said pins, and the wheel being adapted to turn to operate said ejecting device, on engagement with a rail and the other of said pins serving to engage the torpedoejecting device opposite sides of said groove to thereby limit the endwise movements of said torpedo-ejecting device.

8. In a torpedo-placing machine, torpedo-placing mechanism involving a frame provided with an endwise-reciprocatory torpedo-ejecting device, a wheel supported by the frame and adapted to be turned by contact with a railway rail for operating said ejecting device, spring-arms arranged in pairs to overlie respectively the spring side branches of torpedoes supported by said frame and bosses on said frame, said spring-arms having portions coiled about said bosses.

9. In a torpedo-placing machine, torpedo-placing mechanism comprising a frame, an endwise-reciprocatory torpedo-ejecting device carried by said frame, a wheel carried by the frame, for operating the ejecting device when the wheel is turned by contact with a railway rail, a shaft carrying said wheel and supported by said frame, bosses surrounding the shaft and also carried by said frame, and spring-arms to overlie torpedoes supported by the frame, said spring-arms having portions coiled about said bosses.

10. In a torpedoplacing machine, torpedo-placing mechanism comprising a frame, an endwise-reciprocatory torpedoejecting device carried by said frame and having a groove in its upper side, the upper surface of said torpedoejecting device being plain at opposite sides of said groove, and a wheel carried by the frame and embodying two disks, and diametrically opposite pins connecting said disks, one

pin being located in the groove to efilect the endwise moverail, said frame being provided with sides having apertures 10 ment of the torpedo-ejecting device on the turning of said the walls of which converge upwardly. Wheel, and the other pin serving to alternately engage the In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in torpedo-ejecting device at opposite sides of said groove presence of two subscribing witnesses 5 to thereby limit the movement of the same. I

11. In a torpedo-placing machine, torpedo-placing mech- HARRY SIMCOE' anism involving a frame, a torpedo-ejecting device car- Witnesses: ried thereby, and an operating wheel for the said torpedo- ARTHUR M. WALLACE,

ejecting device, rotatable when in contact with a railway F. L. BARBOUR. 

